Пробный камень
I
Hehadreaditforthefirsttimewithascarcelyperceptiblequickeningofattention:hernamehadsolongbeenpublicpropertythathiseyepasseditunseeingly,asthecrowdinthestreethurrieswithoutaglancebysomefamiliarmonument.
“InformationconcerningtheperiodprevioustohercomingtoEngland....”Thewordswereanevocation.Hesawheragainasshehadlookedattheirfirstmeeting,thepoorwomanofgeniuswithherlongpalefaceandshort-sightedeyes,softenedalittlebythegraceofyouthandinexperience,butsoincapableeventhenofanyholduponthepulses.Whenshespoke,indeed,shewaswonderful,morewonderful,perhaps,thanwhenlater,toGlennard’sfancyatleast,theconsciousnessofmemorablethingsutteredseemedtotakefromevenhermostintimatespeechtheperfectbloomofprivacy.Itwasinthoseearliestdays,ifever,thathehadcomenearlovingher;thougheventhenhissentimenthadlivedonlyintheintervalsofitsexpression.Later,whentobelovedbyherhadbeenastatetotouchanyman’simagination,thephysicalreluctancehad,inexplicably,sooverbornetheintellectualattraction,thatthelastyearshadbeen,tobothofthem,anagonyofconflictingimpulses.Evennow,if,inturningoveroldpapers,hishandlitonherletters,thetouchfilledhimwithinarticulatemisery....
“Shehadsofewintimatefriends...thatletterswillbeofspecialvalue.
